


Your Real Name

by whitedandelions



Category: Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi | Spirited Away
Genre: Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Canon Rewrite, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-19
Updated: 2018-12-19
Packaged: 2019-09-22 18:46:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17065139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whitedandelions/pseuds/whitedandelions
Summary: Being Yubaaba’s apprentice is the only life Sen knows, and yet, every part of her is willing to give it up to save the human boy who has unwittingly stumbled upon their bathhouse.





	Your Real Name

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DragonBandit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonBandit/gifts).



> happy yuletide!

When Haku loses his home, he loses a part of himself. He changes his name, shortens it so it doesn’t bring pain to his heart every time it’s uttered. 

He wants to forget. He wants to bury it down, so far down that no one would ever think he’s a river spirit.

It works.

Sometimes, Haku’s not even sure if he  _is_  a spirit. If it had all been a dream, if he was never once the Kohaku River.

He wanders the lands now, staying far away from the humans, but also never once as a dragon. He left that part of himself a long time ago, and now he is Haku. And Haku walks on two legs, not four. He does not fly through the sky, looking for a home that was already destroyed.

Haku walks like a human and is no longer the Kohaku River.

* * *

He doesn’t know how long he’s walked now, or how many days have passed. His memory is fuzzy and his purpose in life even blurrier. Without a river, what good is he?

But something keeps him pressing on. Something whispers to him that there’s someone waiting out there, some purpose that he must accomplish before he can find a new home again.

So he does. He walks without seeing, without living, until he comes across a tunnel. He doesn’t hesitate, following the tug in his heart as he moves forward. He doesn’t know where he is going and he doesn’t know the reason why his body wants him to go this direction, but he goes anyway.

* * *

No face is sitting at Sen’s feet. 

He’s docile today, a far cry from when she had first met him. She idly pats him, before returning her attention to the window. She’s waiting for Yubaaba's return, and she will see her in the skies before she can even attempt to sense her. Yubaaba would want her apprentice’s attention right away, and Sen cannot disappoint her.

Still, even though she’s supposed to be alert, her attention wavers. There’s someone coming, someone walking toward the bathhouse. 

Her heart nearly seizes. A boy. A  _human_  boy. 

She does not hesitate, and without a single glance toward No face, she moves. 

Sen may not remember how long she’s been at the bathhouse, but she  _does_  remember every nook and cranny of the place. She lithely makes her way down to the lowest floor from the high grounds, making use of the rickety stairs until she can plant her sandaled feet onto the dirt. 

She allows herself one moment to rest, a single moment to catch her breath, before she’s moving once more. 

The human will die without her, and she won’t let that happen.

* * *

 

Haku’s just rounded the corner when he sees her.

She’s in a white kimono, with orange accents, and an orange ribbon entwined into her ponytail. 

She looks human, but Haku can’t smell it on her. She doesn’t give him much time to say anything, pressing forward until her small hand is gripping his. 

She gives him a single look, a clear instruction to stay silent, and then leads him away at a harsh pace, until Haku is panting and they are at the side of a lake. 

As they run, the empty town around them comes to life. None of the apparitions spare a glance toward them, but the girl had still pressed on and Haku hadn’t fought it. He’s still confused on why she’s grabbed him, since she’s a human and shouldn’t even be of this world, but it’s not as if he could’ve pulled away even if he wanted. 

“You have to eat this,” she says, when she turns to face him, and then stops still as she roams her eyes over him. “You’re not disappearing.” That make her pause, and she looks a bit lost.

So Haku reaches out and takes the red pill in her hand and swallows it. For some reason, his heart is telling her to trust him, and Haku isn’t one to disregard his heart. He’s rewarded for his actions when she stares at him with clear amazement and a long beat passes as the two of them stare at each other.

She looks as if she wants to ask something, but then she turns, her eyes scanning the sky above them. He follows her line of sight, just spotting a weird looking bird before she’s pressing him against the wall behind him in a clear attempt to keep him hidden.

He wonders if now is a good as time as any to tell her he isn’t a human, when she stands, pulling him up with her. He goes easily, the binding from the grass doing nothing to hold him since he’s still a river spirit, even if he buried that part of him long ago. “We have to go,” she explains, and she holds his hand tight in hers. “Don’t worry,” she continues, “I’ll protect you.”

He’s oddly charmed, even more so when she sets the both off at a brisk pace. She’s a human, Haku can now tell despite her smell being covered by the magic coating her, and he wonders why she feels so familiar. Her magic reaches out ahead of her, throwing doors open as they make their way down the back alleyways, and after crossing so many stairs, they end up at the beginning of a grand bridge. 

“I won’t let them see you,” she says. “Trust me.” She snaps, and then there’s someone there. He hadn’t seen it before, and he doesn’t have any idea what it is, but it leans forward and gulps him straight into its mouth.

He’s not scared, because some part of him does trust the girl in the white kimono. She had seemed earnest in her attempts to protect him, even if Haku isn’t quite sure if he needs the protecting, and even when the entity that swallowed him starts moving, he stays still and waits.

It’s comforting, the sway as the thing walks back and forth, and he almost falls asleep in the time he stays in it. When he’s being spat out, curiously still clean and dry, he’s in a heated hallway.

The girl’s nowhere to be found, but the thing that ate him is still standing politely next to him, as still as a statue. He looks around, and peers down the hallway, seeing shadows move as there’s voices down the hall. The thing next to him suddenly points a part of its blackness outward, in the clear direction of the voices.

He figures he has nothing left to lose and follows its instructions, walking forward and calling out a hesitant, “Excuse me?”

There’s someone there, someone with multiple arms moving at a terrifying pace, and he turns when he hears Haku’s voice. For a split second, Haku wonders if he’s going to be thrown out for being an intruder, but instead, the man’s arms stop and then he rings a bell. Immediately, the soot-balls that had been crowding the ground near the boiler rush back, disappearing into small doors.

“No face,” the man says, and he sounds tired. “Did Sen make it back okay?”

The entity next to him nods, its mask bobbing happily up and down and the sounds that accompany it are weirdly cute.

The man’s attention shifts to him, and he frowns, a hand beckoning Haku forward. Haku follows suit and jumps a bit as the man leans uncomfortably close as he stares at him.

“Sen thinks you’re a human,” he says, pointing at a note in front of him. “She can’t smell it, boy.”

“My name’s Haku,” he says, and then he shakes his head. “I didn’t tell her I was a human. She pulled me here.”

The man with many arms narrows his eyes at Haku, and then the ceiling opens up and strings with red cards attached to them fall down. The man groans, and then grabs the four of them, and goes to ring the bell. Immediately, the soot balls come out once more. 

Haku stays there, wondering if he’s been forgotten when the man speaks again. “Name’s Kamaji,” he says without looking at Haku. “Sen wanted us to send you to Yuubaba to ask for a job. Normally, the answer would be no, but Sen doesn’t ask for much.”

Almost as if on cue, the sliding door behind the boilerman slides open and another woman wearing a similarly colored dress to Sen peeks in. When she catches sight of Haku, she lets loose a big sigh and wanders over, dropping off a meal for Kamaji. Kamaji gladly takes it, one of his hands grandly gesturing to Haku.

It looks like Sen had briefed this woman before because all she does is look him up and down and ask a curt, “So you’re Haku?”

“Yes,” he says, hesitant, and isn’t surprised when she turns without another word, sliding the door open once again.

It’s clear she wants him to follow her, and Haku follows without another thought.

* * *

 

The woman leaves him at the very top.

The witch that greets him, that he learns later carries the name Yubaaba, clearly knows that he is a river spirit. She doesn’t know which river, and he doesn’t tell her, but she still signs him under contract anyway. “You’ll have to learn from a human,” she says, looking down at him, and when he doesn’t respond, takes his silence as an answer. 

There’s a beat of silence in which Haku wonders what she expects of him when she continues.

“How perfect. Sen, come greet your new apprentice.”

He turns in surprise since he hadn’t sensed her presence at all but Sen isn’t looking at him. She’s looking directly at Yubaaba, and she bows respectfully. 

“Your name?” she suddenly addresses him and he’s all too aware of Yubaaba's eyes on them both.

“Haku,” he answers, and lets her lead them away.

* * *

 

As soon as they’re alone, Sen turns to him, a smile on her face. “I’m so glad you’re okay,” she says. “No Face is out who knows where and he hasn’t come back to report to me yet.”

He wracks his mind for who No Face could possibly be and remembers the weird entity that had swallowed him whole. “So that’s No Face,” he says, and she shrugs.

“I hope he didn’t scare you,” she says, “He’s a good person, promise.”

He stares into her earnest expression and wonders if Sen thinks anyone is a bad person. She dragged him here without even knowing him, all under the notion that he needed her protection.

“I’m not a human,” he goes on to say, and she sighs, looking forlorn.

“I know, Kamaji told me. He gave me a lecture on being too trusting and refused to give me any information on you. Though,” she pauses her to give him a conspiratorial look, “Kamaji’s much too nice to leave anyone out there. He got me in by saying I’m his granddaughter.”

He can’t see how anyone could believe that considering Sen is a human and Kamaji is decidedly not, but he doesn’t have time to question it because Sen grabs his hand. “Let me show you around,” she says, and drags him off once again.

* * *

 

After a long day of Sen showing him all around the bathhouse, Haku falls fast asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow.

When he wakes, Sen is sitting there, painting her nails. It’s orange, as bright orange as her kimono, and when she notices he’s awake, she turns to grin at him.

“Just a moment,” she says, and then she puffs her cheeks like a chipmunk. It’s oddly adorable, and Haku watches as she breathes out over her nails. When the wind is gone, her nails are sparkly dry.

She holds out a hand. “How would you like to go flying today?”

Haku’s only memories of flying are as of a dragon and he’s curious to see how Sen flies. She doesn’t keep him waiting and instead produces a broomstick out of nowhere, glowing blue writing inscribed on its shaft. “It’s been enchanted,” she explains, “and should be able to hold both of us.”

He nods, and she hands over the broomstick to him. “You steer,” she says, a cheeky smile on her face, and he stares at her.

“How?”

“Yubaaba said you have magic,” she says. “It’s time you show me what you can do.”

The broom is easy to control. The enchantment does most of it; the broom really only needs his magic and it’s easy enough to feed it. “Where are we going?” he asks, and Sen points up. He dutifully follows until they’re high above the clouds and Sen throws her arms around his waist, holding tight.

“You’re powerful,” she says, quietly. He waits a beat to see if she’ll ask  _why_ , but she doesn’t, instead content to watch the clouds pass them by. “Which will come in handy,” she continues, eventually. “Yubaaba is going to start sending you out with me.”

“To do what?”

Sen shrugs, her attention still on the clouds but there’s a sad smile adorning her face. “Whatever she needs us to do. I’m sorry for getting you involved.”

She looks so uncharacteristically sad that Haku can’t help but want her to feel better. “I’m not sorry,” he says, causing Sen to look up in surprise, “because being here is better than where I was.”

She doesn’t ask what he means, just holds tighter to his waist. “Thank you,” she whispers, and they spend the rest of the flight in silence.

* * *

 

The woman from before brings them dinner. Rice with tempura shrimp and sides, and she sits down with them at the table. “I’m Rin,” she introduces, and she shakes Haku’s hand with a smile. “Sorry for before, wasn’t sure if we could trust you yet.”

At her words, Sen whines, “I already said sorry.”

“Shush you,” says Rin, waving her hand at Sen and Sen dutifully shuts her mouth, looking mutinous. No Face slinks in from wherever he had been hiding and curls up at Sen’s feet, his black ephermal body shrinking into a small enough size.

“Soo,” says Rin, her mouth full of shrimp and her chopsticks waving around, “What has Sen told you about the bathhouse?”

“She’s shown me around,” he says, and Rin smiles.

“Yes,” she says, “but has she shown you the baths yet? I figured with you being Sen’s new apprentice and all, you should be able to try out the baths without Yubaaba complaining.”

“I let her try the baths once,” says Sen, quietly, and Rin turns her attention back to the whiny teenager.

“And I fully expect another bath on my birthday, okay, Sen?”

Sen pouts at her and eats her dinner instead of responding. 

It’s heartwarming to watch them banter; it feels like two siblings bickering and Haku doesn’t know if he had ever witnessed a scene like that firsthand. He smiles and picks up his chopsticks when a small bird comes flying in. It lands on Sen’s head and the girl looks up, both her eyes crossed. 

She sighs, stuffs the rest of the shrimp in her mouth, and stands. “Take care of Haku,” she says, and she waves before disappearing out the door.

“That baby,” says Rin, so quietly that Haku isn’t sure if she meant for him to hear, but when she catches him looking she continues.  “I don’t know if Sen told you about her duties, but one of them is to take care of Yubaaba’s baby. He’s so attached to Sen that Yubaaba was forced to beg Sen to stay.” 

“Is that why she has magic?” he asks, because he’s been wondering this whole time because Sen’s human. She shouldn’t have magic.

Rin shrugs, “Part of the reason. I’m sure Yubaaba and her worked out a deal.” Rin gulps down the last of her shrimp and then points at him. “Hurry and finish eating and then you can go check out one of the baths.”

It’s a clear change of subject, and Rin’s already let so much slip that Haku does as she orders.

* * *

 

The bath is nice. He goes two more times and Yubaaba doesn’t complain at all.

He doesn’t have much to do during the day because apparently Sen is out on a mission. Rin and Kamaji are busy, and he doesn’t know anyone else, so he contents himself by wandering around the bathhouse. Yubaaba must’ve told everyone who he is because no one bothers him.

On the third day, he finds the farm. He wrinkles his nose at the smell of the pigs and he’s about to leave when he catches sight of a familiar orange.

Sen hasn’t noticed him yet, a streak of dried blood on her cheek. It gives him a start, and when he makes his way over, Sen looks up at him.

“Haku,” she says, sounding so sad, and then her attention turns back to the pigs in front of her.

“Are they yours?” he asks, after a moment, and she shrugs.

“I don’t know,” she says. “I don’t remember much before the bathhouse. Something keeps bringing me back here, though, and I don’t know what.”

He walks closer, close enough that he can reach up and try to wipe away the blood on her face. He summons up some water, little amount enough that it wipes it away cleanly without soaking Sen’s clothes.

“It’s not mine,” she says, offering up a small smile, but when she follows Haku out of the farm, she’s limping.

They sit down far away, and Haku pulls out some rice balls Rin had shoved on him in the morning. Sen brightens when she sees it, grabbing one and stuffing her face full.

He eats his own slowly since lunch had only been a few hours ago, and startles when he notices Sen is crying.

He scoots closer to her, unsure if he should throw an arm around her or not, when she all but presses herself against his side. He doesn’t know what to say, so he doesn’t say anything, and instead offers her another riceball. She takes it, scarfs it down, and after a few minutes, her sobs are reduced to sniffling.

“I’m sorry,” she says, and he immediately starts to say she shouldn’t be sorry when she talks over him. “I don’t even know why I’m sad. It’s the price I paid for making a deal with the witch.”

“She did this to you?”

She looks up at him, inquisitively. “She didn’t take your name from you, did she? Your real name is Haku.”

“It’s not,” he says, “but my real name is something I’ll never forget.”

She looks like she wants to ask more, but she swallows her question. “I forgot mine,” she offers. “My real name’s not Sen, and that’s why my memories are lost. The oldest thing I remember is standing in Yubaaba’s office and giving up my real name.

“Don’t forget yours,” Sen says, and she reaches over and squeezes his arm before reaching for the last riceball. “I wished someone would’ve told me to remember my name.” 

“If I knew it,” he promises, “I would remember it.”

She gives him a wry smile and stuffs the last rice ball into her mouth.

* * *

 

They’re sent out on a mission.

“It’s easy,” says Sen, all bright smiles and no trace of sadness, and she flourishes her broom in front of her with a flick of her wrist. “Simple retrieval mission.”

“Who are we picking up?” he asks, and fidgets uncomfortably in the kimono getup Rin had forced on him that morning. It matched Sen’s orange accented kimono with its blue.

“Not who,” say Sen, “What. It’s a spell book that Yubaaba has wanted her hands on forever, so we’re not allowed to mess this up.”

She gets on the broom, No Face riding her shoulders in weird imitation of a shawl, and gestures behind her. He follows suit, and then they’re off.

When they reach the town, Sen sets them down lightly. No Face flows off her and then toward the village, and Sen sits down. “Now we wait,” she announces, and looks up at Haku with a smile, patting the grass next to her. “No Face has this covered. Rice ball?”

He takes the rice ball and holds it, his eyes on the village No Face is currently infiltrating. “We don’t have to do anything?”

Sen hums, her mouth full of rice and when she gulps it down, she turns to look at him. “Nope.”

“How did you meet No Face?” he asks, letting himself relax at Sen’s words.

“Weeell,” says Sen, taking another bite, “It’s a long story.”

“We have time,” he says, and she laughs.

“I let him into the bathhouse, and well, he ended up eating everything – and even some people and ended up wrecking the bathhouse. Yubaaba was furious! I ran away and No Face came with me, and well, things happened and I ended up making a deal with Yubaaba. No Face stayed with me, even though he’s not under contract like me.”

“He ate people?” he repeats, his stomach feeling uneasy at the prospect. He still remembers distinctly the feeling of being in No Face’s stomach and Sen seems to catch on.

“Don’t worry,” she says, giggling, “He spat them out after. They’re still alive, okay?”

He shoots her a dirty look, and she gives him another rice ball in apology.

* * *

 

When No Face emerges, he’s holding nothing. When he gets closer, he spits out a book into Sen’s hands, and she reaches up to pat him in appreciation. 

Haku grimaces at the action, and Sen notices, and she sends him a teasing grin as they get onto her broomstick.

* * *

 Sen goes missing for a week. 

Haku gets sent out by Yubaaba on easy missions, easy enough that it’s child’s play for him to accomplish. When he gets back, he can’t help pestering Rin for information on Sen despite the knowing looks she sends him, and he lays awake on his futon long after the lights go out.

She’s human, despite wielding extraordinary magic, and Haku can’t help being worried. He still remembers the way she had limped after he had found her in the farm, and even more so the blood that had been on her cheek. If it hadn’t been from her, then who else? Humans are fragile, and Haku knows she doesn’t need his protection, but he wants to give it to her anyway. She had offered it to him without even knowing him earlier on, and it’s startling how much Haku wants to pay her back for her selflessness.

He’s barely slept a wink when morning arrives, but when he does open his eyes, Sen’s sitting there at his feet. It’s a stark contrast to the last time she had been in his room; her nails now are worn, with the sparkly orange barely visible. “Morning,” she says, quietly, and sighs when she notices the way he’s looking at her.

“I’m okay,” she says, even though it looks like it pains her to stand, and she holds a hand out to help Haku up. “We’ve been given a mission.”

“Shouldn’t I be going along with you for your missions?” he asks, his eyes roaming over the many cuts in her kimono, and she shrugs.

“Nothing I couldn’t handle, I promise,” she says, and squeezes his hand when he takes it. She pulls him up, and then hands him her broom. “Can you steer today?”

“Yes,” he says, and when they’re in the air and Sen’s fallen asleep on his shoulder, he doesn’t wake her.

The mission’s over fast, and when they’re cleaning up camp in the morning, Sen tells him she has a separate mission.

“You can have the broom,” she says, pushing it into his hands. “I don’t need it for where I’m going.”

“Where are you going?” he asks, suspiciously.

“Something for Yubaaba,” she answers, and smiles when he frowns at her. “Yubaaba wants this back,” she says, pointing at the cloak they had stolen yesterday, “and you can take it to her.”

“How are you going to get home?” he asks, and she gestures toward No Face. He supposes that’s answer enough, and No Face nods at him, as if to promise he’ll keep Sen safe.

“Stay safe,” he says, and she nods. He gets on the broom, and when he’s high in the air and Sen’s just a speck down below, he waves once more.

* * *

 

The smell makes him pause, and the broom drops a few feet as he’s distracted. It smells horrible, like garbage and sewer, and some part of him knows he shouldn’t investigate, but some part of him is telling him to. He looks down at the stolen cloak in his hands, and then starts to tilt the broomstick down.

When he’s on ground, he looks around and then follows the smell. It’s not hard, pungent as it is, and he stops still as he notices that there’s a trail of trees that have been mowed to the floor, their roots sticking out unnaturally. Slime coats all of them and Haku covers his nose in horror, the smell even worse the closer he follows.

He knows he should turn back, but his curiosity is piqued so he continues to track the trail of destruction.

It’s headed straight toward the bathhouse. 

It could be just a spirit wanting to spend time in a bathhouse. 

But something’s telling him that it must be something more. Spirits should never smell like this.

He uses the broomstick to get in front of the spirit, and praying that he’s making the right choice, he jumps and lands neatly in front of the spirit.

The spirit rears back, its appendages born out of the slime that makes its body, and it waves the appendages at him.

He wrinkles his nose, doing his best to resist the urge to cover his ability to smell with his fingers, and bows. “Hello,” he says politely, “I am Haku of the bathhouse.”

The thing cannot talk, and it shows it by the way it moves its hands emphatically at his declaration. Haku squints his eyes at it, knowing that the possibility that the creature is a stink spirit is high, but still, something’s off. 

He stares, and then blinks, because he  _knows_  this feeling. He’s felt it so many times before, almost as if the spirit shares his own feelings.

A river spirit.

It seems almost impossible that the thing in front of him is a river spirit; if Haku himself wasn’t one, he would never even begin to fathom that the entity in front of him is one. But it is, and he has to do something to help.

Well, the river spirit was heading to the bathhouse. He assumes to wash off the mud that is caked on to it, but surely, if that was all it needed, it could’ve gone inside of a lake, or another source of water. And river spirits are made of  _water_ , there’s no way water was all it needed.

But water will still help, so he raises his hands, concentrating hard. Water pools above the spirit, making a thin bead of sweat run down Haku’s neck, before he lets it go all at once. It splashes onto the spirit and then continues to do so, even at the risk of tiring Haku out, he keeps the magic running, hoping that it’ll do something. 

He walks a little closer, making sure to breathe with his mouth and not his nose, and then gathers his courage and sticks his hand inside. The mud is already coming off with the stink, and when he reaches in, his hand catches on something.

He doesn’t recognize what it is; he can’t with just touch alone, but he knows it’s bad. He tugs on it, but the thing doesn’t move even when he puts all his strength behind it.

He takes a second to think, and then remembers Sen’s broomstick is still in his other hand. It’s been enchanted with magic and will go forward even with something holding it back if he feeds it enough magic. He summons a rope, and then ties it around the thing stuck inside of the river spirit and then the other end to the broom he sends hovering above him.

He takes a deep breath, careful to use only his mouth because even without using his nose, his eyes are watering because of the absolute rank of the poor river spirit, and closes his eyes. He doesn’t need to look at the broom to feed it magic, and it helps to only sense it and not be distracted by everything else.

It takes him a long moment, but then he’s feeding his own magic to the broom. 

He doesn’t know how long it takes, or how drained he’s going to be after, but then there’s a loud crack. His eyes fly open; the rope’s snapped and the broomstick is in two, but when he turns, the river spirit is  _gone_.

There’s a huge puddle of water in the middle of the clearing, and he stares at it for a long moment, wondering if he somehow messed up and hurt the river spirit. He stares for so long that when movement happens, he first thinks he’s just imagining it.

But no, that’s definitely a wrinkled brown mask floating out of the water, and when it’s completely out, it hovers for a split second before its jaw moves. “Well done,” it says, with a distinct male voice, and then the water is rumbling.

Seconds later, there’s laughter, and the river spirit is flying out of the water, its form similar to his own dragon form. It rushes into him, drenching him immediately, and when it’s gone into the sky, there’s a medicine ball in his hands. He watches until he can no longer see it, his heart full at the idea that he somehow helped him when he couldn’t help himself.

Haku stands there for a little while longer, broomstick broken at his feet and the weird ball the river spirit gave him in his hands, and wonders how he’s going to get home.

* * *

 

When he’s finally made the trek back to the bathhouse, he wonders how he’s going to tell Sen he broke her broomstick. He knows she probably won’t mind, not when she hears about the river spirit, but he’s still worried.

Rin finds him before he finds Sen. Her face is pale, white as a ghost, and he’s surprised when she grabs his hands. “You have to find Kamaji,” she says, and before she can say anything more, she’s dashing off, getting lost in the crowd in front of the bathhouse.

Haku pauses, wondering if this is Rin’s way of telling him he still  _stinks_  (he did check, and wash himself off, but the smell was pungent), but figures Rin would be much blunter than that. So he follows her instructions and makes his way down to the boiler room.

What greets him makes him drop the shattered broomstick.

He rushes over, dropping down to his knees, and he bends his head down to Sen’s chest. His heartbeat steadies as he hears her faint one, and he looks back up at Kamaji who is hovering over them. “What happened?” he asks, and then reaches out a hand to move Sen’s messy hair to the side so he can see her eyes. She’s covered in streaks of blood and it’s obvious she’s barely conscious, and he’s  _worried_. What kind of mission did Yubaaba send Sen to and why hadn’t he been allowed to come along? If he had just been able to be there and watch her back…

“I don’t know,” admits Kamaji, and his hands point up at the duct from above. “She fell straight through that just a few minutes ago, and I sent Rin for some help.”

“She stole my solid gold seal, that’s what happened.” 

Haku rears back in surprise, falling down onto his bottom as he stares up at a hologram of Yubaaba. How had she gotten wind of Sen’s condition so fast?

“How are you here?” he starts, too surprised to say anything else when the hologram Yubaaba turns its eyes on him.

“Haku, is it?” she asks. “My dear sister must be out of her mind to have two apprentices at once.”

“You’re Yubaaba’s sister?” he asks, and she nods. He looks lower and sees some sort of figure made out of paper at the hologram’s feet, the obvious source of the magic’s power.

“That must be why she sent Sen on the suicide mission,” says the hologram, sounding exasperated. “Really,” she continues, and is promptly cut off.

Sen must’ve had some energy left because she’s holding a hand outward, a precise gust of wind cutting the figure into half. She falls back down straight afterward, coughing, and Haku helps her sit up.

“Haku,” she says, in-between her coughs, “you’ve made it back. I was worried.”

“ _You_  were worried?” he asks, and then stops because of course she was. That’s Sen, after all. “How can I help?”

“I don’t know,” admits Sen, and she grimaces as a bit of her magic leaks and goes out of control, wrecking Kamaji’s boxes above her. She closes her eyes tight as even more threatens to escape her control, and he stares down at her in dismay.

He dropped the broken broomstick, but he still has something in his hand. The river spirit –

“Sen, trust me,” he says, and then puts the ball up to her mouth. She wrinkles her nose in disgust and turns her head away, but when he tries again, she obligingly takes a small bite of it.

When she does, she gags, but she eventually swallows, her body convulsing.

Seconds later, and she’s spitting out a weird, black glob. It sizzles and when Haku looks over, there’s a weird wormlike creature on top of it. As he watches, the creature looks around and then flees, straight toward the sootballs.

He moves before it can get there and stomps it down with his foot. It gushes into nothing underneath his skin and he shivers as the evil energy it exudes travels upward. 

Kamaji gestures him over, and after getting rid of the evil energy for him, fixes him with a serious look.

“You have to find Zeniiba. I used to have train tickets, but Sen used them the last time she had to leave.”

“She did?” he asks, looking up in surprise and Kamaji nods.

“It got her there, but well, Rin and I both don’t know what happened after. Yubaaba took her memories of the place. And it isn’t as if we can ask Zeniiba.”

“Why did she go?” he asks, and he makes his way over to Sen. She’s fallen asleep even with all the commotion, and he can’t help reaching out a hand to fix her hair. At least she no longer looks like she’s in pain, and Kamaji’s right. He’s already given her medicine, the only way he can do something now for Sen is to find Zeniiba and get her to take off the curse.

“Zeniiba cursed Yubaaba’s baby. I told her not to go, but Sen was insistent on making it right.” Kamaji gives a long sigh, sounding forlorn at the thought, and then clasps Haku on his shoulder. “Are you sure you want to go? Zeniiba’s a dangerous witch, and last time, it ended with Sen signing away her freedom.”

“It’s only right,” he says, and then shakes his head because that’s not what he means. He’s not doing this because he wants to pay Sen back; he’s doing this because he can’t leave Sen like this. She’s not supposed to be as still as she is now. She’s so full of energy, so vibrant of life that to see her like this feels  _wrong_. “I want to,” he tries again, “Sen saved me.”

Kamaji looks at him for a moment longer and then nods. “Okay,” he says, “just follow the train tracks. You’ll get there eventually.”

“Thank you,” he says, and then reaches over to grip Sen’s hand. He stays for a moment longer and then stands. “Watch over her?” he asks, and when Kamaji nods, his eyes unusually bright, he turns and leaves.

* * *

 

He stands in front of the train tracks, his hands clenched at both sides as he looks out toward the water. It seems endless, almost daunting as he realizes he’ll have to trek the entirety of it to save Sen.

But then he remembers why he’s planning to do this, and the fear fades. Sen’s done so much for him; Sen’s currently counting on  _him_  and he’s not going to let her down.  Even if it means he’ll have to take days walking to get to Zeniiba. 

He takes a step, and then another, and then stops.

The River Spirit had saved Sen. The medicine given to him had expelled the curse from Sen’s body, and gave him the time needed to go plead Sen’s case.

And Haku may have tried to forget his time as a river spirit, but he still  _is_  one.

The River Spirit had known, and Haku isn’t about to let Sen die on his behalf because he was scared to embrace his past. Sen didn’t even remember her name, had her memories taken from her by force from Yubaaba, so in a way, it felt selfish not to acknowledge that Haku knew who he was. 

Especially if that knowledge is the way to save Sen.

And the hurt from his river being boarded up by humans is already smaller than it had ever been. The ache he used to feel in his very bones had been blown away by Sen, so much so that when he closes his eyes and thinks back on it, he doesn’t feel panic. 

He only feels peace.

When he opens his eyes again, he’s different. He’s not standing on two legs anymore; in fact, he is no longer standing. 

Its exhilarating being in the air once more, to feel the wind rush past his face and to see the ground slowly becoming further and further away from him.

It feels right.

Before Sen, Haku had never dreamed he would ever be a river spirit again. He thought he had forgotten how to become a dragon, but apparently, that’s a skill that can never be forgotten. 

But that’s for another time to dwell on; Sen needs him and Haku won’t be failing her.

* * *

 

When he lands, there are lights twinkling in front of him. It lights a pathway, and normally, Haku would be wary walking straight into an enemy’s trap, but something in Zeniiba’s manerisms before told him that she is not the enemy.

Despite looking just like Yubaaba, Zeniiba hadn’t seemed scary. Even if she had been a hologram, Zeniiba had only been trying to help, and if Sen hadn’t destroyed her link, Haku’s sure he wouldn’t have had to make this journey.

But he’s here now, and he doesn’t hesitate in following the lit pathway.

There’s a cottage waiting at the end of it. The windows have light shining through them, a clear sign that Zeniiba is home. He makes his way down the path, and when he stands in front of the door, he hesitates.

The door swings open, and Zeniiba is looking at him.

“Hello,” she says, kindness easy to hear in her voice, and Haku stares as she ushers him into her home. “I was waiting for you,” she continues, and on the table, there are two steaming mugs of tea. “Took you long enough,” she adds, but she doesn’t look as if she means it so all Haku does is sit down at the table. She joins him, pushing the mug over to him, and he picks it up, doing his best to inspect the tea without being rude.

He doubts she’ll poison him; he’s usually not this trusting, but something tells him that everything will be okay. So he tilts the mug back, and then sputters, warmth spreading through him with just one gulp. It’s unlike any tea he’s drank before, but it’s good. He takes one more sip, and this time, he’s able to appreciate the warmth it gives him.

Zeniiba doesn’t say anything as he drinks, and when he puts the mug down, she looks at him expectantly. Haku knows what she wants, and he reaches into his pocket, pulling out the golden seal Sen had coughed up. When he hands it over, Zeniiba’s eyes are wide, and she takes it.

“Thank you,” she says, and then narrows her eyes at it. “My protection spell is gone,” she says, in wonder, and then looks at him with curiosity. “How?”

He wonders how much detail she wants, if she wants to know how he saved the river spirit and got medicine from him, and if she wants to know about the slug that had come out of Sen with the golden seal. He settles for the latter, and Zeniiba’s eyes widen even further.

“You squashed it?” she asks, quietly, and then unexpectedly, the witch bursts into laughter. It’s warm, and inviting, and Haku watches as Zeniiba throws her head back in clear delight. “It wasn’t my protection spell,” she explains when she’s finally calmed down, and when she looks at Haku, this time there’s respect in her eyes. “That was the spell my sister used to keep Sen under her control. And you  _squashed_  it.” She cuts herself off with another round of laughter, and Haku stands there awkwardly until she subsides.

“Then she’s okay?” he asks, and Zeniiba nods, a smile on her face. He slumps in relief; he had been so worried on the flight over that Sen wouldn’t be okay, that he would have to argue for Zeniiba to come heal Sen. To find out that there is nothing wrong with Sen makes his heart light.

“You love her,” Zeniiba suddenly says, breaking through his thoughts, and immediately, Haku feels heat come to his cheeks at her words.

“I – “ he starts, about to protest, because Haku’s a river spirit, he’s not sure  _how_  to love, but then he closes his mouth because Zeniiba is right. He loves Sen. He doesn’t know when he started loving her, but it almost feels as if he’s loved her from the very beginning. “Yes,” he settles on, staring down at his hands, and Zeniiba reaches out to touch his hand.

“It’s okay,” she says, soothing, “It’s your love that saved her. My protection spell could’ve only been broken by love. If it wasn’t for you, Chihiro will be dead.”

At first, he doesn’t realize what she let slip, and then when he does, he looks up at her in shock. “Chihiro?” he repeats. “Is that – is Chihiro Sen?”

Zeniiba doesn’t look regretful for letting Sen’s name slip, and she nods. “She told me long ago,” she explains, “And I never forgot it even when my sister took it from her. Chihiro fits her better, doesn’t it?”

“Chihiro,” Haku says, sounding out the syllables. It fits her, despite the mysterious aura Sen gives out. Sen’s only one syllable, and does nothing to encompass who she is. Sen’s the efficient one, the one Yubaaba uses to do her dirty work, and Chihiro – she’s gentle, kind, and he’s utterly in love with her. “I love her,” he can’t stop himself from saying, and Zeniiba looks amused when he looks at her. “Chihiro told me once that losing her name lost her her memories. Can I save her with this?”

“I’ve been trying to save her ever since she’s left my home,” admits Zeniiba, and for the first time he’s walked into here, she looks unbearably sad. “She came here to reverse a spell I cast on my sister’s baby, and we wove her a protection spell before she went back. But she never made it back to the human world, and despite my best efforts, she’s been stuck as my sister’s apprentice since then. But you have love for her, and perhaps that will be enough this time.”

He opens his mouth to reassure Zeniiba that it isn’t her fault when a timid knock sounds through the home.

“Look who’s here,” says Zeniiba, a smile on her lips. “Why don’t you see who it is, Haku?”

He knows just as Zeniiba does that it’s Chihiro outside. His heart pounds at the thought that Chihiro is  _okay_  and that he loves her, but still, before he leaves, he looks up at Zeniiba. “Thank you,” he says, “for everything.”

“Of course,” she says, and he turns to open the door.

Chihiro is standing there, No Face at her side supporting her. She’s paler than usual, but her eyes are bright even as she peers into the cottage and catches sight of Zeniiba. Her gaze doesn’t falter, and then when she meets his eyes, her face transforms, brightening as a smile spreads. “Haku,” she says, quietly, and she steps into the cottage to throw her arms around him. 

He hugs her back, and he’s taller than her, tall enough to bury his nose into her hair and breathe deeply. She smells  _clean_  which means she has to have been up long enough to take a bath, and it’s good to know that she hadn’t been so badly hurt.

“Are you okay?” he asks, when he finally lets her go, and she nods.

“Thanks to you,” she says, quietly, and then she takes a deep breath and bows deeply to Zeniiba. “I’m sorry for stealing your gold seal,” she says, in a voice barely louder than a whisper, and then she clears her throat. “I couldn’t disobey Yubaaba’s orders.”

“But you can now,” says Zeniiba. “Haku’s gotten rid of the spell.”

“Oh,” says Chihiro, her eyes wide, and Zeniiba continues.

“It won’t work again,” says Zeniiba. “And it’s okay. I forgive you.”

Chihiro seems to come back to life at Zeniiba’s words, and she’s suddenly moving forward, throwing her arms around the witch. “Thank you,” she says, and then she tilts her head as she stares at Zeniiba. “Granny?” she continues, in what sounds like a question, but it seems to be the right move because Zeniiba just hugs her tighter.

* * *

 

They stay for as long as they can. But they have to go back eventually to face Yubaaba, who almost certainly knows that her hold on Chihiro has been broken.

Zeniiba doesn’t tell Sen her real name, and neither does Haku. It doesn’t seem right to blurt it out now, and beyond that, it might not be safe for Chihiro to know. Not until they’ve dealt with Yubaaba, who might steal her name once again.

Because Haku has a plan. He’s sure Chihiro won’t like it, and he’s not even sure if it’ll  _work_ , but he has to try. If he doesn’t, Yubaaba will find another way to control Chihiro, and while Haku thinks Chihiro’s been doing great in the spirit world, admirably great, it still isn’t her world. He loves Chihiro, and he wants her to stay forever, but she needs to go back to the human world. 

When they’re finally ready to leave, No Face decides to stay with Zeniiba. Chihiro seems agitated, since No Face is their way home, but then Zeniiba shakes her head. “You have another way to get home,” she says, and Haku knows what she’s talking about when she looks directly at him.

Haku doesn’t mind; he had been planning to tell Chihiro his real name ever since he’s learned hers. He takes her hands with his, and she stares at him in confusion. “My real name is the Kohaku River,” he explains. “I’m a river spirit.”

“Oh,” says Chihiro, her eyes wide, and she doesn’t seem to be able to say anything else. It’s adorable, and he takes a step back, and in between one second and the next, he’s a dragon.

* * *

 

When they land, there’s no one else in the room.  Haku transforms back, and he wants to go face Yubaaba right that second, but Chihiro is suddenly  _crying_.

“I remember you,” she says, in-between her gasps, “You saved me once when I was little.”

He stares at her crying face, panic settling in until he’s close enough to hold her. She sniffles and then shakes her head, “You  _saved_  me from drowning, Haku. How could I have ever forgotten you?”

“Your memories were taken,” he says, but doesn’t continue because he also remembers now. Remembers the little girl with her shoe and the way he had brought her to the surface. It makes sense now why he had come to the bathhouse, why something had been tugging him in this direction all along. It had been Chihiro that had needed him. “You’ve saved me many more times,” he says, and then softly, “Chihiro.”

Chihiro’s mouth drops open at his uttering of her name, and it’s a long second before she can say anything. “Is that my name?” she asks, and when he nods, she lets out a breathy exhale. “Chihiro,” she continues, and then through her tears, she smiles brightly up at him. “You’ll remember it for me?”

“Always,” he promises, and holds her until she’s no longer sniffling.

* * *

 

Chihiro’s fallen asleep, and he doesn’t want to leave her, but he has to do this without her.

She won’t let him do this; he knows she’ll want to find another way. But Yubaaba needs an apprentice, and Haku’s a spirit. Chihiro is a human, and she’s just gotten her real name back. She’s been through too much under Yubaaba’s control, and Haku witnessed the entirety of it in the time he’s known her. Chihiro can’t stay here, not if she wants to  _live_ , and Haku wants her to live. 

Chihiro’s the brightest person he’s ever met, and Haku saved her once when she was little. He carried her to the shore so she can breathe again, and he’s going to do it once more. 

He takes a deep breath, and then uses his magic to slam the door open. 

Yubaaba is waiting there, anger easy to see in her face. “I should’ve taken your real name,” she says, in lieu of a greeting.

“Then do it,” he says, trying his best to stay calm in the face of her anger, and she stares at him in open shock. “You know it,” he continues, “You’ve known it since I walked into the door.”

“Of course,” says Yubaaba, “the Kohaku River that was boarded up. It wasn’t hard to put it together.”

“You want me under your control,” he says, “and you can have that. If you let Chihiro go.”

Yubaaba’s knuckles go white around the pen she’s holding. “If you’ve listened to my sister and think something as small as  _love_  can save her, then – “

“It can,” says Haku. “I love her, and you  _will_  let her go. She knows her real name now, you won’t be able to control her like you did in the past. I won’t let you.”

He lets his magic leak into the air, the strength of it oppressive. Instead of looking scared, Yubaaba just looks thoughtful.

“Okay,” she says. “You’re a much better prospect than a human, anyway, no matter how much my baby loves her.”

He stares in silence, because he hadn’t expected her to agree so easily, and she continues.

“On one condition,” she says, and his blood runs cold as she explains.

* * *

 

“What’s going on?” asks Chihiro, and he holds her hand tight as he leads her to the front of the bathhouse the next day.

He’s not sure if it’ll turn out okay, if Chihiro has any memories left at all, but Chihiro had gone back to the farm so many times in the time he’s known her. He knows she can figure out who her parents are, he has to believe she can or else this will all be for nothing.

Rin is there, and so is Kamaji. So many of Chihiro’s other friends in the bathhouse are there, too, and they’re cheering her on. Yubaaba looks disgruntled at this fact, but it’s soon covered in the glee she has when she announces what Chihiro has to do.

Chihiro’s face goes worryingly blank for a second, and then it clears. Almost as if in a daze, she shakes her head, and says clearly, “None of them.”

Yubaaba’s about to protest, but the pigs are already transforming back into humans, their voices already joining the others in a cheer.

“Fine,” says Yubaaba, and she sighs. “You’re free to go, Sen.”

“Chihiro,” she corrects, and then she stands there, looking at Yubaaba. “I forgive you,” she says, and when Yubaaba rears up in anger, Haku rushes forward, grabbing Chihiro’s hand to pull her away. 

“Your parents will be waiting outside,” he says, after Chihiro exchanges tearful good-byes with Rin and Kamaji and about everyone else, and she looks at him, her gaze piercing.

“And you?” she asks, and her voice wavers. “What about you?”

“I’m staying,” he says, and conveniently doesn’t mention that he gave up his freedom for hers. It’s not a hardship, not when Chihiro had taught him so much, had given him so much. She seems to know it anyway, because her tears overflow and she pulls him into a hug. 

“I’m going to come back,” she promises, “and I’ll never forget you or your name. Just like you won’t forget mine.”

Her words have conviction in them, and Haku knows she’ll be back. That this isn’t good-bye, that it won’t be long before he’s seeing Chihiro once again.

He walks her to the tunnel, and before she leaves, she turns to him. “I love you,” she says, “And I’ll see you again.”

“I know,” he says, and then he leans forward to press a single kiss against her lips. She’s crying when he pulls away, and all he wants to do is to hold her and never let go.

But it’s too dangerous for her to stay, so he doesn’t run after her when she heads for the tunnel.

* * *

 

When Chihiro makes it through the tunnel, she turns right away, her heart seizing as she realizes that the tunnel no longer leads to the spirit world. Her mother and father are suddenly there, and she realizes she’s holding her mother’s hand. With a shout, her father rushes to clean off the leaves of the car, and during all the commotion, she turns back around.

Haku is still back there. He’s saved her and trapped himself in the process. She loves him, just as much as he loves her, and Chihiro isn’t intending to let her stay in the human world stop her from saving him. 

But first, she must get her parents settled. And then, she’ll find a way.

* * *

 

** EPILOGUE **

The well should be connected to the spirit world. At least that’s what her mentor said. The shrine priestess had been more than willing to take her on, even more ecstatic when she had shown her the magic she still wielded from Yubaaba. 

The past few years had been grueling, but Chihiro’s magic had only grown in the years she spent here in the human world. She thought she would’ve stagnated out here, but she hadn’t and she’s grateful. Not a day goes by where Chihiro doesn't think of Haku, and today’s the day she can finally see him again.

At least if her mentor’s right. She hadn’t been wrong before, though, so Chihiro is inclined to think that the well’s going to actually  _work_.

She’s brought supplies, holy water of the sorts and salt, and her bow and arrow. Learning archery had been tough, but she can attach magic to the arrow so she had willingly put in all the hours. And now, when she’s about to head feet-first into the well, she feels quite ready for whatever’s coming.

She’s said good-bye to her friends and her parents. Her parents hadn’t understood, but her friends had, and on the day of graduation, she’s ready to disappear. She loves them so much, these last few years had been an endless stream of worrying about Haku, but it didn’t mean she hadn’t lived, too. She’ll come back to visit; she’s not intending to let Yubaaba keep Haku against his will, and she’s sure Haku will be willing to visit the human world with her.

She places a hand, nails painted a sparkly orange, and swings her feet over the well’s side. “This is it,” she says, softly, to steel up courage, and then falls in.

* * *

 

Yubaaba keeps him under contract, but she’s not able to control him like she did Chihiro. The slug never takes, and Haku’s heart is warm because he knows it's thanks to Chihiro’s love for him. The knowledge of her keeps him safe, even if he knows that he might not see her for the rest of his lifetime.

They’re in an understanding now; they might not like each other, but Haku can appreciate the way Yubaaba teaches him magic. He hates her for what she’s done to Chihiro, but Chihiro forgave her so he figures he should learn from the love of his life.

He’s being groomed to take over the bathhouse, it’s obvious by the way Yubaaba makes him accompany her on her trips, and they’re just on one now when something happens.

He’s trailing behind Yubaaba, peering at the fountain they had installed in the middle of their garden, and then stops. There’s magic emanating from it, magic that shouldn’t be there, and he walks over to inspect it.

When he’s close enough, he sees the water bubbling and he freezes. He’s about to take a step back when the water erupts, spraying everywhere, and then there’s someone in his arms.

He loses a breath as he looks down at the hair he’s dreamed about, and even though it shouldn’t be possible, he squeezes tight and tries his best not to cry. 

“Haku!” she calls, happiness easy to hear in her voice, and then she’s pushing him away. He hadn’t noticed her bow at first, but now she has it cocked, the arrow’s tip pointing directly at Yubaaba.

“Sen,” says Yubaaba, calm as ever, “Welcome back.”

Chihiro’s hands don’t waver, even though it should be tiring to hold the bow cocked as it is, but she’s frowning now. “How did you know I was going to come back?”

“Please,” says Yubaaba, dismissive, “Did you really think your mentor can have so much knowledge of the spirit world without my help?”

Chihiro’s face falls for a split second, and then it hardens. “You have to let Haku free.”

“I’ve let him free long ago,” says Yubaaba, “and he’s my Heir now. I thought he’ll need a partner.”

Chihiro stares, and then slowly brings her arms down. She turns to look at Haku and he nods, and all the tension seems to bleed out of her. “Well,” she says, cheerfully, “that was easier than I thought it’ll be.” Yubaaba rolls her eyes behind Chihiro, and then waves a hand at the both of them before continuing on her inspection of the bathhouse.

She’s a whirlwind, just as she had been when she was young, and he can’t take her eyes off her. She’s wearing human clothes, her school uniform he thinks, and she’s as beautiful as he had always remembered. 

And she came back for him. 

“Chihiro,” he starts, his voice breaking, and she’s suddenly there, holding him tight.  “You’re here,” he says, helplessly, and she laughs in his embrace.

“Of course,” she says, “I couldn’t leave you here. Not when you saved me, not when I love you.”

“Me too,” he says, even though those two words do nothing to tell Chihiro how much he feels about her being here, again, when he thought he would never see her again. 

But Chihiro seems to understand, because she’s holding him as if she’ll never let go.

Haku doesn’t know what he’s done to deserve this. He came here, without a home, without a purpose in life, and somehow, he found more than he ever could have imagined.

He’s home, even though his river has been boarded up by humans, and he’s right where he belongs.


End file.
